Death toll in Golimar building collapse rises to 22

The death toll in the Golimar building collapse has risen to 22. Five more bodies were pulled out from beneath the rubble.

Residents of the building are angry at the slow pace of the rescue operation and the fact that the builder hasn’t been arrested yet. They staged a protest against this.

Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Sirajul Haq has called on the president and prime minister to take notice and help the families.

The building collapsed on Thursday afternoon. Eleven deaths were reported that day but the death toll kept rising as more bodies were pulled out.

400 Quarter building was built on 80 square yards of land two years ago, according to residents of the area, who say 10 families lived in the building.

The latest victims have been identified as Sohail, Muhammad Ali, Tariq Ali and Aamir Ali. The fifth victim, a woman, has been sent to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for identification.

There are fears that another 30 to 40 people are still under the debris.

A senior SBCA officer confirmed to SAMAA Digital that the collapsed residential structure was “unauthorised” and “illegal”.

“It is the responsibility of SBCA to keep a vigilant eye over illegal construction in Karachi, but it is difficult to monitor the process in the entire city as it is spreading day by day,” he said.

He says majority of the illegal structures are being constructed in densely populated areas by local contractors with the support of lower staff, including senior building inspectors and building inspectors.

Newly-appointed SBCA Director-General Dr Nasimul Ghani Sahito has constituted a three-member committee to investigate the collapse. The committee will be chaired by SBCA Director Structure Benish Shabbir and its members are Baldia Town Director Nadeem Ahmed and NED University Head of Architectural and Planning Department Noman Ahmed. They have to submit a report by March 12.

from News – SAMAA https://ift.tt/2xlsiiT